UTM launches appeal for flood victims: Malawi declared state of national disaster
UTM Party has launched an appeal to people for various relief items for victims of flash floods which have cost 23 lives and rendered thousands homeless.
In the appeal, UTM president who is also State Vice President Saulos Chilima said it is important that people come to the aid of the victims of the floods.
“In this hour of need when our fellow citizens have fallen victim to the devastation and destruction of floods, let us rise to the occasion and come to their rescue,” said Chilima.
“We appeal to all Citizens to mobilize relief items for the aid of our sisters and brothers in need. Let us come forward with donations in financial or material resources,” said Chilima.
The items which UTM is asking people across the political divide should contribute include food items (non perishables), tents, blankets and clothes, plastic sheets, cooking utensils, buckets, plates, cups, basins, mosquito nests, bottled water, soaps and any other items that might be found helpfully appropriate.
Government has declared a state of national disaster and President Peter Mutharika has cut short his trip to the northern region to travel to the southern region which has been heavily affected with the floods.
The damage has not spared the energy sector as on Friday the Electricity Generation Company (Egenco) was forced to shut its Nkula and Kapichira Power Stations making Egenco lose 270 megawatts (MW) of hydro generation capacity against the available capacity of 320MW.
The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services said the heavy rains were as a result of deep low pressure area which initially developed in the Mozambican Channel and had intensified due to the presence of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone oscillating over Southern Malawi.
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